Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Together with independent developer DevNAri,Utomik are proud to present their next Day One release: Newt One, a colourful, nonviolent 3D platformer with music that adapts to everything you do. The release is scheduled on Utomik, an unlimited play PC gaming subscription service, on February 14th. After being the first to offer games on release day last October, they continue to focus on bringing newer games to the platform.

Utomik shifts the way players consume games. Their highly-curated library of titles offers a wide variety of genres, focused on discovering the unexpected. Get swept up by Newt One and awaken a world fallen to the Great Slumber. This nonviolent game rewards you for how much life you bring to the game world, not how much life you take from it. Perfect for even the littlest ones to enjoy. A game truly created to put a smile on people's face!

“We believe subscription based games are the future and Utomik is at the forefront of this revolution. Since our game has a natural appeal to those with a soft spot for classic gaming with a modern aesthetic, Utomik's users should feel right at home playing Newt One!” - developer DevNAri

-----

Utomik's mission is to unleash gaming. They bring you a weekly growing library of 700+ hand-picked games. Get instant access to a varied collection of AAA classics, retro, indie, and family-friendly titles with Utomik’s smart download tech.

New (and newt!) users can sign up for a 14-day free trial on www.utomik.com to try it out.

Want to help us keep bringing you indie game news and also make our own games?
Become a Patron!

Tuesday, 13 February 2018

Experience the life of a convict working off the remainder of your sentence aboard a spaceship in this engrossing story about engineering, artificial intelligence, and the endurance of the human spirit.

SURVIVOR’S GUILT

Astra Interstellar Solutions – a secretive corporation that holds a monopoly on the technology necessary to "fold” space – has shown an obsessive interest in a large uncharted nebula called MG251. To get the job done as quickly (and cheaply) as possible, the company has begun conscripting convicts and the rest of society’s “undesirables” into an involuntary employment program with a single goal: exploration.

That’s where you come in. Known solely as “the Pilot,” you’re provided with a small spacecraft equipped with a finicky deep space scanner and an intellectually shackled AI unit – and you must now take on all spacefaring roles … whether you like it or not. Without spoiling too much, let’s just say that both you and the AI must work together to exceed the company’s expectations. Your shared circumstances will evolve into a friendship that will be tested by something deep within the nebula...

All alone in space – and with a rapidly deteriorating spaceship to boot – your job is to explore as much as humanly possible. The journey ahead will be fraught with all sorts of hazards – and it’s up to you to keep the engines (and everything else!) running smoothly. Ship parts can malfunction at the worst possible times – and they’ll fail catastrophically when you least expect it. That’s when you’ll need to choose between conducting an extensive (but inconvenient) repair or go for the “MacGyver” approach so you can focus on the actual threat lurking just outside … and very much alive!

Sure – you can imagine that while probing a massive, ever-changing nebula, you’d discover more than space rocks and the odd celestial body. In fact, you’ll have to deal with a vast ecosystem filled with bizarre, wondrous alien creatures. Attack them head-on with lasers – or study their habits while trying to avoid their gaze. Unlock and equip upgrades along the way to raise the odds of survival – and remember: Perfect journeys are impossible … and you’ll probably die anyway.

DEVELOPER QUOTE

Ryan Hewer (Project Director, Little Red Dog Games):

“With Deep Sixed, we wanted to develop a game where players felt like authentic space engineers – learning how their spacecraft operates and applying that experience to solving complex issues that go way beyond pressing ‘E’ to repair a core system or two. Other games might have you play the role of the stalwart space-captain righting wrongs and seducing attractive alien species. Deep Sixed is a love-letter to the Scottys, Geordis, and O’Briens of world – armed with nothing but a space wrench and a roll of duct tape.”

Based in Potsdam, New York and founded in 2013 by Ryan Hewer and Denis Comtesse, Little Red Dog Games is an independent game development studio built around the core goals of making challenging games with strong gameplay and a distinct style. Deep Sixed is the company’s sophomore commercial title; its first release, Rogue State, was launched in 2015. To learn more about Little Red Dog Games and Deep Sixed, please visit http://littlereddoggames.com.

Want to help us keep bringing you indie game news and also make our own games?
Become a Patron!

Bevontule: Altar of Roots – a stunning turn-based role-playing game inspired by classic ‘90s and 2000s JRPGs – is now on Kickstarter seeking $50,000 in completion funds. Featuring a deep storyline and tactical turn-based combat, Bevontule will offer backers massive environments to explore, quirky characters to encounter, and plenty of open-world adventures in a state-of-the-art blend of Eastern and Western RPGs.

Just 3 days in, Multithreaded Games has already raised over $10,000 – 20% of the original funding goal. The campaign is set to end on February 28. If funded, Bevontule is expected to be in backers’ hands by March 2019. Want to get a taste of the combat mechanics? You can download the Official Demo from Game Jolt and itch.io to experience the world of Onich for the first time.

Key Features

Enjoy a mature plot spanning thousands of years – inspired by games like Xenogears and Shadow Hearts.

Fight in a challenging tactical, turn-based combat system where proper positioning and timing are critical.

Visit a beautiful, massive world with modern 3D environments to discover, explore, and conquer.

Fend off free-roaming enemies with a wide variety of movement patterns, behaviors and habitats.

Prepare for an unrelenting and highly-intelligent enemy AI that can be scaled to various difficulty levels.

Play alongside a large cast of interesting characters with defined roles, yet deeply customizable skill sets – allowing multiple builds for each combatant.

Face enemies that learn and level up dynamically – accessing new skills, tactics, and other enhancements.

Bevontule takes place on a vast and isolated land mass surrounding a central ocean known as the Inner Sea. Discovered some 1,500 years ago by a number of refugees fleeing their own war-torn homeland, it quickly becomes clear that despite its welcoming appearance, Onich harbors dark and deadly secrets that were left alone … presumably for good reason.

Join a diverse cast of characters and stave off the looming calamity about to hit this troubled continent – or unwittingly hasten its arrival. Explore a beautiful open world inhabited by war-ravaged nations, rebel factions ... and a far more insidious enemy. To fully understand the existential threat presently posed to Onich – and perhaps humanity itself! – you must traverse expansive plains, aid survivors in ruined towns, explore dangerous caverns, and safely navigate forbidden ruins where decaying structures are the least of your worries.

The journey ahead will not be easy: Ferocious and highly-intelligent creatures – from colossal dragons to deadly insects – roam the land and will attack at a moment’s notice. Take down enemies in tactical, turn-based combat where every move (and every second) counts.One misstep could be your party’s undoing; intricate planning and execution are vital for survival. Unlock, learn, and equip hundreds of combat skills, attribute bonuses, and world-based buffs. Need a break from the main campaign? Take on numerous side quests to face optional bosses and discover some fun minigames!

“Bevontule pays homageto beloved JRPGs such as Final Fantasy and its many sequels. You’ll also find traces of Vagrant Story, Parasite Eve, and even Suikoden,” says Derek Bradley, co-founder of Multithreaded Games.

“In addition to the classics, the more tactical turn-based offerings required a degree of planning and strategy. Games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Ogre Battle – to name a few – directly influenced Bevontule’s combat system,” adds Andy Fenton, co-founder of Multithreaded Games.

“Bevontule combines the best elements of those JRPGs we loved to play as kids with an engaging story and characters, a challenging turn-based combat system, and a vast open world filled with possibilities,” says Calvin Lye, 2D artist at Multithreaded Games. “We’re making our dream game – and we can’t wait to share the finished product with our Kickstarter backers!”

Pricing and Availability

Bevontule: Altar of Roots is currently seeking funds on Kickstarter with a goal of $50,000. If funded, the gamewill be launched on Windows, Mac, and Linux in March 2019.

Based in Portsmouth, Ohio, Multithreaded Games was formed in 2015 when childhood friends Derek Bradley and Andy Fenton decided to leave their previous employer and create their own company to make the same types of games they adored as kids. Multithreaded Games aims to craft high-quality RPGs that transcend the genre – and the team is hard at work on Bevontule: Altar of Roots – aproject based on an original story that’s nearly two decades in the making. To learn more about Bevontule and Multithreaded Games, please visit https://www.bevontule.com.

Want to help us keep bringing you indie game news and also make our own games?
Become a Patron!